Tag: parmesan

Mmmm, there’s something about a lasagna baking in the oven that brightens your day. I had a lot of fun making this, since it was a way to use up some produce in my fridge and make my own marinara sauce. Paired with no boil lasagna noodles from Trader Joe’s and my fridge produce, this Veggie Lasagna was delicious and super easy. Mixing veggies directly into the ricotta mixture and using less cheese lightens up this lasagna, while still keeping all of the flavors. I made the marinara sauce, while I sliced the zucchini and peppers, minced the cauliflower and mixed together the ricotta. Then you layer everything, bake it and anxiously wait for it to be done.

Have to close out 2017 with a bang, right? This Thyme Potato Crust Quiche was a winner. Remember my sweet potato crust quiche? Here’s a take on that. I love breakfast potatoes and hash browns for brunch. I’m not sure what it is about the starchy side, but I associate seasoned potatoes with breakfast. I made a potato crust for this eggy dish and added thyme to complement the sharpness of the parmesan and give flavor to the potatoes. For a quiche, it’s really filling from the potatoes, and adding a dash of hot sauce (or ketchup) does juuuust the trick.

I can’t believe I haven’t posted this yet! This risotto is so yummy and comforting now that it’s getting cold. I made this right after the NCLEX — the boards to become a registered nurse — and it was a welcome distraction. There’s something so therapeutic about making risotto with all the stirring and mixing. I had this idea for a pumpkin leek combination and something about it seemed like it needed some bacon. For a curve ball, I used a dry red wine (since that’s what I had), but I think it adds some depth of color to this fall dish. I should also admit I’m not sure if it made a true 7 or 8 cup batch between all my “tastings” oops. . . Here’s a recipe for Pumpkin Leek Risotto with Turkey Bacon to soothe your soul and warm you to your toes.

Deconstructed Chicken Caesar Wrap — what’s up? I made this late summer around the same time I went to Nantucket with my friends Leah and Steph. For some reason, it got lost in the potential blog post limbo. I saw Leah Saturday night and she was craving a Caesar salad for dinner, and I remembered this post was lost in limbo. This version of a Caesar “salad” is light, fresh and perfectly chopped. I love my salads chopped now after this is how they were prepped in college. This is totally optional, but so much more fun. I also looooooove this dressing I found a few years ago; it’s creamy because of the Greek yogurt, but still tastes just like Caesar dressing. Adding a little naan on the side makes this salad seem like a wrap without actually having the wrap.

It’s Friday, so I’m celebrating with a little quick and healthy ‘za. I feel like the weekend rolls around and we all think we’ve “earned” a little indulgence for the weekend. This Tortilla Pizza with Basil & Sausage is just the way to indulge without feeling gross. It requires ingredients you probably already have on hand like whole wheat tortillas, chicken sausage (I always store some in my freezer), tomato sauce and parmesan cheese — it’s that easy. You can obviously swap out the meat for veggies, but don’t make the pizzas too heavy. For a serving size of two tortilla pizzas, it’s just the right amount of pizza without feeling overly stuffed.

Pizza for breakfast? Yes, please. Dish me up. I had previously made a breakfast pizza with turkey bacon and a sweet potato crust, so I obviously had to switch things up with a chicken sausage pizza made with a zucchini crust. I was pleasantly surprised that this crust stayed as a crust. (It holds up a little less well when reheated, but still keeps its shape.) This is an easy, fun breakfast or brunch option. Pour the coffee (or those mimosas) and enjoy Zucchini Crust Breakfast Pizza.

I think I found my new favorite veggie pizza crust option: Zucchini Pizza Crust. I’ve tried my hand at a cauliflower crust and sweet potato almond crust. Naturally it’s time I try zucchini. I finally bought nutritional yeast to test out (and warning — I foresee this on my popcorn), so I decided to do a 1:1 ratio of nutritional yeast to parmesan. I also recently made a parchment paper investment, and this was worth it; it made for an easier transfer of the crust baking sheet to cutting board and was non-stick. I really like veggie curst options, but usually they’re loaded with cheese as the binding agent. I thought this was still quite “cheesy” without all the extra cups and the egg worked just fine to keep this like a true crust. I’m definitely setting up for a breakfast pizza — stay tuned for brunch tomorrow!

I love spiralized sweet potato. It makes the most under-rated noodles. I saw a write-up for easy pasta dishes on BuzzFeed for one with arugula, EVOO and parmesan from Gimme Some Oven. (At this point, we can admit I’m a BuzzFeed addict. I receive a biweekly food letter from them, so that never discourages my addiction.) I still have quite a bit of arugula from Arugula Cilantro Pesto, so I decided to make this with arugula, pesto, cannellini beans and sweet potato noodles. It’s easy and savory. Drizzle a little extra EVOO and toss with parm and this Arugula & Parmesan Sweet Potato Pasta is your next Meatless Monday dinner.

Happy Meatless Monday! I had too much cilantro and arugula hanging out in my fridge. It’s also in the 40’s today. (Um, what’s up, Mother Nature? It’s basically June.) I really wanted a dinner that’s hearty and warm. I whipped up an Arugula Cilantro Pesto to top some ravioli and sweet potato pasta to combat this chilly, rainy weather. The fun part about this recipe is that it’s really a place to start. You start with these basic proportions and add more cilantro and/or arugula as needed, some lime juice here or there and maybe parm; it’s all to taste. It’s the perfect meal prep and now I’ll add it to my freezer to use this summer!

I love risotto. I think it’s really fun to make and almost a cathartic process with all the adding, mixing and stirring. It’s been a bit chilly in Boston (or at least I think so after coming from beautifully sunny weather on Sanibel Island), so this seemed like the perfect time to post Vegetable Risotto using zucchini, butternut squash and spinach. To stay in a true vegetarian nature, I used homemade vegetable stock, but have also used homemade chicken stock, which adds just as much flavor (see notes for how to). You’d never know cream or milk haven’t been added in. Mixing in freshly grated parmesan cheese still gives the risotto a decadent taste without being over-the-top and the butternut squash almost melts down to add a creamy texture to the risotto. Can I have seconds yet?